Tank mines



July 21, 1970 F, BECKER l 3,521,563.

TANK MINES :Filed April s, 1965 51NvENToR Xlr/wz. Ease A ATTORNEY UnitedStates Patent O Inf. Cl. F42b 23/26 U.s. cl. 1oz-s 12 claims Theinvention relates to land mines, and particularly for mines for useagainst tanks.

Tank mines of various constructions are known. In order to hinder orprevent their location by the enemy, they are often made with as littlemetal as possible or even completely without metal. For example,structures are known in which, aside from the explosive, propagating andignition charges, only synthetic resins are used. There is also known aconstruction in which, instead of a housing on the outside of theexplosive, only a fiber glass reinforcement is used. When combined witha metalfree primer, such a mine cannot be located 'by normal minedetectors.

All these known undetectable or metal-free mines are more or lesssuitable for normal mine laying. However in certain military problemsand situations it is advantageous or even necessary to lay the mines byspecial laying equipment or even 4by dropping them from helicopters. Butbecause in this procedure the mines can fall from a height of severalmeters, often on hard and stony ground, the known non-detectable minesare not suitable for such use. So far as is known, mines for such usehave heretofore been formed exclusively with a metallic supportingstructure, such as a metal housing, especially of lead, so thatnaturally they have no non-detectable characteristics.

Both for this type of laying and for other types it may be desirable oreven necessary to take measures to make sure that the mine is firstarmed a certain time after it is laid. Whereas it should be assured, ina normal laying, that the person laying the mine at the point of time ofthe arming of the mine is far enough away, so that he is no longerdirectly endangered, there is a necessity of such a time delay inbringing the mine into armed condition during a laying from a suitableapparatus r in dropping from a helicopter in the above mentionedconditions, that the mine can fall even on hard and stony ground, butthe danger exists that the mine, which is armed by the process of layingit, will explode immediately, so that personnel and machinery will begreatly endangered and also the mine is wasted.

In carrying out military operations it can happen that, for tacticalreasons, mine elds are laid in which however it is understood from thebeginning that these should not be a permanent impediment. In order thatunexploded mines of the usual type, of a eld of limited duration, laidby mine laying apparatus or even by dropping, should not be wasted, itis advantageous to embody in the suitable arrangements so that the minecan be taken up and reused, which is possible without danger only if themine can lbe disarmed`without thereby destroying it or interfering withits operation.

In contrast it is desirable that mines located by the enemy in apermanent iield can neither be taken up nor disarmed nor dismantledwithout causing the mine to detonate and thereby inflicting losses onthe enemy. In order to satisfy this requirement, the mine must beconstructed with an arrangement which counteracts the steps necessaryfor intentional picking up and reuse.

It may be especially important in connection with mobile warfare to laytemporary mine barriers, which hinder the enemy but not the individualtroops. In such a case,

the purpose can 'be achieved if the mines laid as a permanent lield forthe purpose of hindering the enemy can be remotely armed and evenremotely detonated. To prevent any hindrance to individual groups,however, they should also be capable of being remotely disarmed. In thecase that the mines for the control of the enemy are armed, it should asfar as possible be assured that these cannot be taken up or disarmed,without causing the mine to detonate. This is accomplished through theconstruction of the detonator.

Previously known mines have not offered these varied possibilities ofuse in a mine iield. Especially, the known tank mines are only intendedfor single purposes, so that a number of different types of mines isnecessary if all possibilities are taken into account. Aside from thelarge expense connected with this fact, there are obviously also for theplacing of the mines substantial disadvantages, because the placingrequirements can be changed very little and it can easily happen thatthe required type of mine is not available.

The purpose of the present invention is to avoid these disadvantages, byproviding a mine which with extraordinarily simple means can quickly andeasily meet the changing requirements of combat placing, but which forthat purpose by means of an arrangement of easy manipulation can also beused for training purposes. In a tank mine with a housing, a pressurecover on the housing, an explosive charge, a propagation charge ifneeded a detonating charge and a detonator, the invention includes thecharacteristics that the housing is formed with a central passage orrecess for the interchangeable insertion of detonator arrangements whichare constructed as selfsufficient exchangeable mechanisms and are heldin operable relation to the cover.

According to the invention, a construction according to the so-calledbox system makes it possible, for the most frequently occurringpurposes, in a standardized mine of broad utility', through theinterchange of parts which are relatively small in relation to the sizeof the whole mine, in a simple way and with inexpensive means, in ashort time to change into a special construction for the then necessarypurpose. Thus that with a single type of mine and very simple andinexpensive attachment parts, all the requirements of modern, variedmine warfare can be taken into account. This is especially true if thehousing, according to a further feature of the invention, is formed notof heretofore used plastics or metals but of cross-linked polyethylene.The use of this material, which within a temperate range of C. to -|l00C. (that is, a much wider temperature range than the mine is subjectedto), meets the most exacting mechanical requirements without difficulty,and besides presents the possibility of constructing a completelymetal-free, nondetectable mine, but allows also the laying of the minesthrough dropping, as from practical trials can be recognized Withoutdifficulty, in which mines constructed according to the invention with ahousing of the cross-linked polyethylene dropped from heights up to 30meters (a height substantially greater than that from which the minewould ordinarily be dropped) suffer no damage which affects theiroperability.

In a further advantageous feature of the invention, the box principle isutilized by providing the housing, which is formed of upper and lowerparts inseparably connected, with a central passage therethrough forreceiving the detonator part. The lower end of the housing is providedwith a threaded opening and the upper end with a coaxial cylindricalhollow guide. In this connection it has been found particularlyadvantageous to construct the detonator mechanism in three independent,removable and exchangeable structural parts, namely a bottom closurescrew constructed as a container for the propagating charge, a detonatorpart `as the detonator for the mine and a detonator carrying disc, allin a housing insert, so that the insert, especially through suitableconstruction of the corresponding arrangements, carries out differentfunctions. Thus a housing insert, constructed as a container with afixed bottom and a removable cover (which with a ring shaped projectionextends into engagement with the detonator part and with this grips overthe detonator, and is pressed against the detonator part through springoperated slides and through these slides is held in direct operativeconnection with the mine cover) according to need serves only as apressure transmitting member or as an element which makes possible thedifferent manipulations, whether manual or automatic, and if desired aremote controlled arming with or without time delay and also a disarmingof the mine.

In order to prevent the disarming and if necessary the disassembly ofany mines found by the enemy or at least to make it more difficult,according to a further feature of this invention the arrangement andconstruction of the structural parts is so chosen that :a disassembly ofthe parts is possible only from the bottom side of the mine, that isthrough removing the bottom closure screw, in

which for this purpose a blocking means is provided,

which cornes into use when needed. `It is advantageous to construct thisblocking means as a ring, which includes a tine toothing on one edgecooperating with a corresponding fine toothing on the bottom closurescrew and a coarse toothing on the other edge which cooperates with acorresponding coarse toothing on a detonator carrier disc (this dischaving on its periphery projections engaging in grooves in the housingguide so as to be axially displaceable but prevented from turning) insuch a way that by this arrangement as unhindered screwing in of thebottom closure screw even in an armed mine is possible, while aloosening of the bottom closure screw in an armed mine inevitably leadsto its detonation. For this purpose according to this feature of theinvention the toothing is of the type of a ratchet, that is with longascent surfaces on one side and steep, preferably perpendicular ascentson the other side of each tooth, so that they operate in one directionas a lock, and in the other direction as a sort of lifting ramp, the twosets of toothing being opposed in direction. Through suitable selectionof the height of the teeth, the ne toothing produces only a very smallaxial movement of the detonator carrying discs, so that detonator doesnot come in contact with the detonator operating member, while thecoarse toothing produces such an axial displacement that the detonatoris forcibly pressed against the detonator operating member provided inthe mine and thus the detonation of the mine is produced.

While the locking structure according to the invention in an armed mine(which may have further protections, for example an arrangement forpreventing it from being picked up, especially according to a furtherfeature of the invention a device for preventing the taking up of themine responding to a change of the position) (insofar no arrangement toallow disarming by remote control is present, such as is provided inspecial structures of the device according to the invention) also makesit practically impossible for individual troops to clear away the minewithout destroying it, it can for normal cases be advantageous to omitthe removal prevention ring or to form it of a cylindrical ring withsmooth surfaces, and to insert the prevention ring device according tothe invention, that is, to interchange it for the smooth cylindricalring, when a corresponding purpose makes this necessary.

In order to meet the requirement that the mine does not respond topressure waves of nuclear explosions, the invention makes use of a knownprinciple, according to which the pressure cover of the mine by means ofa ring shaped projection on its lower end is tiltably journalled in aspherical recess of the housing for tilting in all directions. Becausethe force of the gas impact of the pressure waves is exerted in generalperpendicularly, the mine cannot respond to the pressure waves resultingfrom a nuclear explosion with a duration of several seconds, as long asthe mechanical resistance of the cover or of the whole mine is notexceeded.

However the operating element, which in direct connection with the coveron a sufciently large central surface, in the case of the housing insertof the foregoing feature of the invention, moves downwardly and therebyproduces detonation of the mine if any tilting movement of the cover isproduced by a tank rolling over the edge of the cover.

In an advantageous further feature of this known idea, according to theinvention, the universally tiltable mine cover member is held on the topof the housing by means of an inverted cap of rubbery material,especially of a material resistant to change, for example of neoprenerubber, with a predetermined tension. The result is that, if the coveris dispersed on one side, it moves upward on the opposite side. Butbecause this is possible only with a corresponding stretching of thematerial of the cover, through the construction of a cap of the suitablematerial and of suitable thickness, as well as consideration of theoff-center loading of the cover, the pressure necessary for producingdetonation can be determined in a suitable fashion.

In order to produce detonation of the mine if a tank rests with itstruck almost exactly perpendicularly on the middle of the cover, amovable pressure member for the operation of the detonator can beprovided in the middle of the cover, for example in a suitable recesstherein, which is independent of the cover. The construction andarrangement of the pressure member is so chosen that the weight of atank exerts on the quite small surface of the pressure member a forcegreat enough to produce operation of the detonator, but not the pressureexerted against it by a nuclear explosion, provided that this is not inthe immediate neighborhood of the mine.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fullyfrom the following description particularly when taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows in vertical section a mine embodying the invention; and

FIG. 2 shows in side elevation a part of one of the inserts.

The mine housing 1 which may be formed of cross- Iinked polyethylene andfilled with an explosive 4 is constructed of a lower part 2 and an upperpart 3, and is provided in the center with an opening through it whichin the lower part of the housing is formed as a threaded bore, and inthe upper part of the housing as a cylindrical guide 6. This opening isfor the reception of the exchangeable inserts which are formed of threeindependent structural elements, which together carry out the detonatorfunction, mainly the bottom closure screw 7, the detonator S and thehousing insert 9. The main pressure lid or cover 10 is universallytiltably journalled by its ring shaped projection 11 in the sphericallyconstructed recess 12 of the upper housing part 3 and is held on theupper part of the housing by a cap 13, which may be of neoprene rubber,under a predetermined tension, which is fastened by means of ring 48 andoutwardly threaded nut 49. This could also be secured by Vulcanization.

The lower housing part 2, which advantageously constructed with a verythin wall, is reinforced on the inside by a number of radial ribs 14arranged for example at equal distances around the periphery. In asimilar way the upper part 3 of the housing is reinforced with ribs 15.The upper and lower parts are tightly and firmly connected with eachother by ribs 16 and 17 which extend around the whole periphery and aretooth-like in crosssection. Advantageously the connection is formed bypressing the lower housing part 2 coming at a temperature of 180 C. fromthe pressure form over the already cooled and completely contractedupper housing part 3. The construction of the ribs is so chosen that thetwo housing parts 2 and 3 can be easily pressed together, while thecompletion of the connection does not permit them to be separated fromeach other. To increase the tightness of the connection between the twohousing parts, these are advantageously cemented at their joiningsurfaces, for example by means of a permanent glue.

To increase the security of the connection between the two housing parts2 and 3, additionally three threaded bolts 18 formed of polyamide areprovided which are threaded in blind holes 20 provided with threads inthe under part 2, the heads of these bolts engaging in recess 19 in theupper part. The bolts are desirably spaced equally around thecircumference of the mine. The stems of the bolts 18 are flattened outinto parallel planes at each Side, so that when the explosive 4 isinserted and hardens in the housing any turning of the bolts to unscrewthem is prevented.

For the filling in of the explosive 4, the housing 1 has in theperiphery of the lower housing portion a recess 21, which afterinsertion of the explosive can be closed by threaded closure 24 engagedin thread 22, a packing 23 being inserted. At an angle of 90 or 180around its periphery, the lower portion 2 of the housing has a secondthreaded opening (not shown) for the insertion of a lateral detonator,for example a push-pull detonator, kick detonator or a device forpreventing removal. In case such an arrangement is not provided, thisthreaded opening is closed by means of a screw cover with a packing.

The bottom 25 of the lower housing part 2 is recessed inwardly in itscentral part, so that the bottom closure screw 7, with packing 26,threaded in the under part, with its head 27, which is composed of starshaped arms 28 for ease of handling, lies ilush with the bottom, andthus assures proper laying of the mine, so that in general it makes nodifference in relation to the detonation, whether the bottom or the topengages the earth.

The bottom closure screw 7, which is constructed as a container for thepropagating charge 29, has on its periphery, in order to improve thepropagation of the detonation into the explosive material 4, a number ofblind hole openings 30. For screwing in an arrangement to preventpicking up or the like, the recess 31 is provided with threads 32.Opposite the detonator part 8, the propagating charge is covered by aloose plastic disc 33. The end of the bottom closing screw nearest thedetonator is cut away downward along its whole outer periphery for thepurpose of receiving the removal preventing ring 34, so that the lateralring surface 35 of the bottom closure screw engages with the ne toothing36 in the correspondingly toothed adjacent edge of the ring 34, whilethe other edge 50 of ring 34 which is provided with coarse toothingcooperates with the coarse toothing 38 on the lower edge of thedetonator carrying disc 37.

The detonator carrying disc 37 is guided by broad spring-likeprojections 39 in corresponding grooved depressions 40 of the guide 6 ofthe upper housing part 3 for axial movement while being prevented fromturning. The detonator capsule 41 is carried in the detonator disc,projecting downwardly from vit and into a corresponding recess of thecover disc 33, that is, propagating change 29, and is held in positionby means of the detonator which is screwed into the detonator carrierdisc.

The housing insert 9 is arranged between the cover 10 and the detonatorpart 8 and is guided with axial play but prevented from turning by thespring-like projections 39 which engage in the grooved recesses 40 ofthe guide 6. Its upper part is constructed as a hollow cylindricalreceptacle 9a which is reinforced by several radial ribs 52 spacedaround its periphery (of which only one is shown) and is provided with aremovable cover 43, which is reinforced by several radial ribs 53arranged around its circumference (of which only one is shown). Adetonator operating rod 44 is mounted in the cover 43. The lower part ofinsert 9 has a downwardly projecting cylindrical portion 45. By severalspiral springs 47 formed of plastic and guided in recesses 46, only oneof which is shown, the housing insert 9 is resiliently pressed away fromthe detonator carrying disc 37 and in this way its upper end nearest thecover is held directly in contact with the pressure cover 10, so that bya tilting movement of the pressure cover 10, or a downward movement ofthe pressure piece 55 which is arranged in the recess 54 of the cover 10and is axially movable independently of the cover, the housing insert ispushed downwardly against the force of the springs 47 towards thedetonator carrying disc 37, until, after a suicient pressure covermovement, it nally rests with the lower edge 57 of the cylindricalprojection 45 against the detonator carrying disc. Because the distancebetween the bottom end 56 of the detonator operating rod 44 and theupper end of the detonator 42 is substantially smaller than the distanceetween the edge 57 of the projection 45 and the carrier disc 47, thedetonator 42 during the downward movement of the housing insert 9 isnecessarily operated by engagement of the rod 44 and the mine is thusset olf.

The same operation of the mine results if, instead of the cover 23 withthe detonator operating member 44 introduced through the opening 58 inthe bottom 59 of the housing insert, a cover without a detonatoroperating member is used and, instead of the opening 58 in the undersideof the bottom, a cylindrical insert is incorporated of such length as tocorrespond to the part of the detonator opertaing member extending outof the bottom 59 in FIG. 1.

In either case, that is, whether using a cover 43 with an operatingmember 44 extending through the bottom 59 of the housing insert or acylindrical insert positioned on the underside of the bottom 59, themine because of its armed condition, in connection with the resilientpressure between the housing insert 9 and the detonator carrying disc 37can be used only, for a normal laying by hand, but because in generalall the parts of the mine are constructed and arranged for a laying bymeans of a mine laying device or through dropping, it requires only asimple and easy interchange of 'the housing insert 9 with a suitablehousing 9 of another construction, or indeed only a removal of the cover43 with the rod 44 and insertion of suitable parts in the holder part 9aof the housing insert 9, to make such a manner of laying possible.

Such an exchange is not possible if as in the mine shown in FIG. l,provided with an insert the locking ring 34 for preventing removal ofthe housing insert 9 upward is not possible, because the guidingmechanism in the lower part of the guide 6 and the housing insert 9 areconstructed in the form of a groove and spring and only allow a limitedupward displacement of the housing insert 9 (this also can be achievedby a ring resting against a band or some similar arrangement) but whichalso has the purpose of preventing the mine from being put out of actionby removal of the cap 13 and taking off the parts upwardly. The mine, aslong as its use is not imminent, or the type of use has not been decidedupon, is stored with the removal preventing ring, which is not builtinto it, outsidel the mine. If desired, also a cylindrical ring withsmooth edges can be inserted, which is taken out when the removalpreventing ring is eventually inserted.

Inside the bore 60 of the pressure piece 55, arranged in the cover 10 arod 61 is shown in FIG. l, which, with the construction here shown ofthe housing insert 9 or of the cover 43 has no direct connection withthe operating rod 44, but rather a connection with the sliding piece 62arranged in the opening 60 and the operating head 53,

7 so that an arming of the mine can be produced, with or without timedelay, if a suitable housing insert with lost motion is inserted.

For example the rod 61 can constitute the upper end of a detonatoroperating member, which is guided inside the holder 9a of the housinginsert and is held by means of a pressure spring in the upper portionshown, in which it does not extend with its upper end above the bottomside of the bottom 59, so that no detonation is caused by a dropping ofthe insert, the outer measurements of which in all cases correspond tothe proportion shown, because the lower end of the circular cylindricalinsert 45 engages the detonator carrying disc before the operatingmember 61 comes in contact with the detonator 42. By turning the head63, the operating guide 61 is moved downward with the slide member 62,which contacts it by cam surfaces, and thereby moves the operating rod61 downwards against the action of the spring. As a consequence, itslower end advances to the position shown with the operating rod 44 outof the wall S9, and simultaneously, for instance by means of aspring-operated catch, it is automatically locked while at the same timean unlocking of the previously blocked housing insert takes place, sothat the mine is now aired without time delay. For this purpose it isadvantageous also to construct the device so that the head 63, after ithas been turned, and only after such turning, is removable and that alsoa backward turning of the head or a backward movement or a reversal ofthe movement of the slide piece 62 from the outside is prevented.

But the rod 61 can also consist of a tension rod, which can be operatedin the same way (being tensioned however by a pressure spring), whichsets in operation a delay mechanism such as a clockwise which is locatedin a container of the housing insert, and which, after passage of apredetermined time, releases a detonator operating mem- `ber for exampleor pressing it out of the container bottom.

Furthermore, the rod 61 can, for example, also serve to constitute anarrangement which through a short wave receiver system enclosed in thecontainer (pressure switch, use of the transistors or the like and a lowvoltage source) is released through remote control and thereby brings adetonator operating member or the like into armed condition or throughthis member operates the detonator. Also, chemical reactions, such asthose which produce foaming, through which after a suitable delay anarming of the mine follows, can be initiated in this way, so that in allcases it is only necessary to insert a suitable housing insert, that is,a housing insert with the proper detonating parts, so that the mine withvery simple mechanism such as a clockwork which is located in a conposeswhich may come up in the best possible way. At need, not only thehousing part can be exchanged, or changed in a suitable way, butlikewise another detonator part and/or another bottom closure screw canbe inserted. But the invention also contemplates measures for acompletely metal-like mine capable of being laid, in almost anysituation by means of an apparatus which does not damage the carryingband or the provision of a camouage in connection with a scale-likeroughening of the outer surface of the housing, as well as atrouble-free tightening of the oil parts.

While I have described herein some embodiments of my invention, I wishit to be understood that I do not intend to limit myself thereby exceptwithin the scope of the claims hereto or hereinafter appended.

I claim:

1. A tank mine comprising a housing, a pressure member, means movablymounting the pressure member on top of the housing, an explosive chargewithin the housing, the housing having a central opening in the bottomwall thereof aligned with the pressure member, a detonator mechanism,and means removably mounting the detonator mechanism in said opening ina position in operative relation to said pressure member, said housingbeing formed of upper and lower parts having means along their meetingperipheral edges securing them together, the lower part having aninternally threaded hole therein constituting the central opening andthe upper part having a hollow Cylindrical guide member, said hole andguide member being coaxial and forming parts of said opening, saiddetonator mechanism comprising a closure part threaded in said hole, acarrier resting on said closure part and vertically slidably guided insaid guide member, a detonator carried by said carrier, and an operatingmember vertically slidably guided in said guide member above saidcarrier and operatively connected with said pressure member. f

2. In a mine as claimed in claim 1, a propagating charge within saidclosure member.

3. In a mine as claimed in claim 1, said operating member comprising acylindrical body having a fixed transverse wall spaced downwardly fromthe top thereof and a plate resting on the top edge, said cylindricalbody having its lower edge surrounding the detonator, and spring meansengaged between the carrier and the transverse wall urging thecylindrical body upwardly.

4. In a mine as claimed in claim 3, said guide member and saidcylindrical body having cooperating means thereon to prevent turning ofthe cylindrical body.

5. In a mine as claimed in claim 3, said transverse wall having acentral opening therein, said plate having a detonating member carriedthereby passing through said central opening and engageable with thedetonator when the operating member is moved downward.

6. In a mine as claimed in claim 1, said operating member and said guidemember having cooperating means thereon to prevent turning of saidoperating member.

7. In a mine as claimed in claim 1, said carrier and said closure parthaving annular peripheral surfaces facing each other and a ring betweensaid surfaces, one edge of said ring and one of said surfaces havingcooperating fine toothings of low height and the other edge of said ringand the other of said surfaces having cooperating coarse toothings ofgreater height, said toothings being directed oppositely, so thatinwardly threaded turning of said closure part lifts said carrier onlyslightly while outwardly threaded turning lifts the carrier so as tocause the detonator to engage the operating member to detonate the mine.

8. A tank mine comprising a housing, a pressure member, means movablymounting the pressure member on top of the housing, an explosive chargewithin the housing, the housing having a central opening in the bottomwall thereof aligned with the pressure member, a detonator mechanism,and means removably mounting the detonator mechanism in said opening ina position in operative relation to said pressure member, said pressuremember mounting means comprising a spherical seat carried by the housingon a mating spherical projection on the pressure member, a tensionedcover of elastic material overlying said pressure member and secured atits edge to the housing, and an operating member mounted in operativerelation to said pressure member for movement thereby, but movableindependently thereof, for engagement with the detonator mechanism, saidoperating member being movable coaxially with respect to said sphericalseat, said pressure member having a central bore therein aligned withsaid operating member, and a piece movably mounted in said lbore andoperatively connected with said operating member and having a partconnected thereto positioned outside the pressure member.

9. In a mine as claimed in claim 8, in which the housing has in itsupper part a hollow cylindrical guide member coaxial with said centralopening, said detonator mechanism comprising a closure part threaded insaid central opening, a carrier resting on said closure part andvertically slidably guided in said guide member, a detonator, saidoperating member being vertically slidably guided in said guide member.

10. In a mine as claimed in claim 9, said operating member comprising acylindrical body having a fixed transverse wall spaced downwardly fromthe top thereof and a plate resting on the top edge, said cylindricalbody having its lower edge surrounding the detonator, and spring meansengaged between the carrier and the transverse wall urging thecylindrical body upwardly.

11. In a mine as claimed in claim 10, said guide member and saidcylindrical body having cooperating means thereon to prevent turning ofthe cylindrical body.

12. A tank mine comprising a housing, a pressure member, means movablymounting the pressure member on top of the housing, an explosive chargewithin the housing, the housing having a central opening in the bottomwall thereof aligned with the pressure member, a detonator mechanism,and means removably mounting the detonator mechanism in said opening ina position in operative relation to said pressure member, said pressuremember mounting means comprising a spherical seat carried by the housingon a mating spherical projection on the pressure member, a tensionedcover of elastic material overlying said pressure member and secured atits edge to the housing, and an operating member mounted in operativerelation to said pressure member for movement thereby, but movableindependently thereof, for engagement References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 2,479,861 8/1949 Pass 102-8 2,488,547 1l/1949 Liljegren 102-82,661,690 12/1953 Diels 102--8 2,857,842 10/1958 Malm 102-8 2,863,39112/195-8 Diels 102-8 2,923,237 2/1960 Bleikamp 102-8 3,094,935 6/ 1963Mettler 102-8 XR SAMUEL W. ENGLE, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. XR. 102-70

1. A TANK MINE COMPRISING A HOUSING, A PRESSURE MEMBER, MEANS MOVABLYMOUNTING THE PRESSURE MEMBER ON TOP OF A HOUSING, AN EXPLOSIVE CHARGEWITHIN THE HOUSING, THE HOUSING HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING IN THE BOTTOMWALL THEREOF ALIGNED WITH THE PRESSURE MEMBER, A DETONATOR MECHANISM,AND MEANS REMOVABLY MOUNTING THE DETONATOR MECHANISM IN SAID OPENING INA POSITION IN OPERATIVE RELATION TO SAID PRESSURE MEMBER, SAID HOUSINGBEING FORMED OF UPPER AND LOWER PARTS HAVING MEANS ALONG THEIR MEETINGPERIPHERAL EDGES SECURING THEM TOGETHER, THE LOWER PART HAVING ANINTERNALLY THREADED HOLE THEREIN CONSTITUTING THE CENTRAL OPENING ANDTHE UPPER PART HAVING A HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL GUIDE MEMBER, SAID HOLE ANDGUIDE MEMBER BEING COAXIAL AND FORMING PARTS OF SAID OPENING, SAIDDETONATOR MECHANISM COMPRISING A CLOSURE PART THREADED IN SAID HOLE, ACARRIER RESTING ON SAID CLOSURE PART AND VERTICALL SLIDABLY GUIDED INSAID GUIDE MEMBER, A DETONATOR CARRIED BY SAID CARRIER, AND AN OPERATINGMEMBER